


Unbraided

by sunspot (unavoidedcrisis)



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Broken Bones, F/F, Fluff, Hair Braiding, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:00:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26215246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unavoidedcrisis/pseuds/sunspot
Summary: "Ask Cassandra, I'm sure she'd be happy to help you."Josephine feels heat rise in her cheeks at the thought. "No, no, I don't want to inconvenience anyone.""Nonsense, you're our chief ambassador. I'm sure it would be Cassandra's honour. Besides, you're friends, right?"
Relationships: Josephine Montilyet/Cassandra Pentaghast
Comments: 25
Kudos: 51
Collections: Black Emporium 2020





	Unbraided

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sweettasteofbitter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweettasteofbitter/gifts).



Once the healer and the surgeon finally come together and stop bickering, they let Josephine know that it's just a mild break and she will be fine in a number of weeks, although that number varies depending on which one is louder at the moment. The takeaway is about the same from both, however; they're going to put a plaster cast on it and she's got a specific set of care instructions (again, those instructions vary based on volume).

Gatsi apologizes again and again, even though Josephine tells him it's not his fault and that she got too close to an unshored piece of Skyhold. It's a mildly broken arm -- not even her writing arm -- and she's going to be fine in a few weeks.

Leliana and Cullen tell her to take at least a week off, that if Inquisitor Adaar was around, she'd say the same; but Josephine knows how far behind she'll get in her correspondence if she leaves it. The arm aches a bit when she rests it on the desk for too long, but other than that, it doesn't impede her duties drastically.

What is proving to be trouble is her morning routines. Washing and brushing her hair, braiding it, fixing her petticoats and undergarments.

"Josie, you should have said something. I could have helped," Leliana says, tucking a stray lock behind Josephine's ear. "But I've got to go to Crestwood about the… you know. You saw the letters."

"Of course, Leliana, go, I'm fine."

"Ask Cassandra, I'm sure she'd be happy to help you."

Josephine feels heat rise in her cheeks at the thought. "No, no, I don't want to inconvenience anyone."

"Nonsense, you're our chief ambassador. I'm sure it would be Cassandra's honour. Besides, you're friends, right?"

Leliana. Ooh, that Leliana. She's crafty, of course, but Josephine never thought she'd turn it back on her own.

"Ye-es…." Josephine says, drawing out the word like it's a bit painful. It's not painful, just a bit embarrassing. Leliana knows about Josephine's gargantuan… admiration for Cassandra. 

"Or we could ask Cullen, he's your friend too, yes?" Leliana makes another reasonable point. Josephine could ask the commander; he has sisters, he must know something of braiding hair. But she won’t.

" _Leliana._ Yes, fine, I promise I will ask Cassandra for help if I need anything while you're gone," Josephine says. She has no intention of needing help, vowing to perfect a one-handed braid before she leaves her chambers again.

But Leliana is craftier than Josephine could have imagined.

The next morning, pre-dawn but just shortly after Josephine had time to rise and wipe the sleep from her eyes, there's a knock at her door.

"Leliana," she mutters to the door, her eyes narrowing. And of course it's not Leliana on the other side of the door when she opens it.

"Good morning, Josephine. Leliana let me know you'd been asking for some assistance, with your arm… Have I woken you?" Cassandra looks as fresh a daisy. Josephine's not sure she sleeps at all. Just trains and gives out advice and looks effortlessly competent all the time.

It's too early for this.

"No, no, I was awake. When I asked Leliana… to ask you," she grits out, "I didn't know you'd be so prompt."

"Apologies," says Cassandra, in a tone that suggested she didn't feel the need to apologize for being prompt. She steps past Josephine into the ambassador's chambers.

"I'll be right back," Josephine tells her, motioning to the little alcove off the bedroom.

Cassandra must take her to mean she needs privacy to make water, but really, Josephine just needs a moment to breathe and remember that Leliana is her friend, not her enemy, and anything she said to Cassandra would have been innocent enough, _and_ that she does need to help to braid her hair.

Josephine rejoins Cassandra in the main room, and she's somehow moved in a wash tub without Josephine noticing the noise.

"Oh, no, no, Cassandra, I just needed a hand with my hair, I promise you don't have to go through all the trouble of helping me with _that_."

"You'd waste hot water? When did you last have a bath with your arm like that?"

Caught.

"Ah, maybe you're right. It's been… um. Yes, I suppose I need to bathe. You're certain --"

Cassandra waves her away before she can finish. "Of course. I can only imagine how frustrated you must be. I'd want the same help in your position."

"As long as it won't make you uncomfortable," Josephine says, even as her own discomfort creeps up like her blush.

"Of course not. Are you all right?"

"I really need to bathe," Josephine says, answering the question with a factually true statement instead of an answer.

Cassandra turns while Josephine slips out of her frilly nightgown and sinks into the water, carefully dangling her casted arm over the edge. Luckily, if she pulls her knees up to her chest, the whole… jiggle she wants to hide disappears under the water.

"You can turn around now," she says.

Cassandra immediately sets to work undoing Josephine's attempted braid from the previous day with smart, careful fingers. "Comb?" she asks. Josephine directs her to the desk that doubles as a vanity.

All the initial awkwardness Josephine felt is evaporating as Cassandra fixes her hair. Between the gentle tug of the comb and Cassandra's soft murmurings, Josephine is finding herself relaxing and relaxing. It's good to soak, especially after more than a few days going without.

Cassandra lathers Josephine's hair with soap that she must have brought with her because Josephine's never seen it before. After a moment, she realizes it's definitely Cassandra's own soap; she recognizes the faint scent of rosewater.

"Lean forward, I need to get the soap off your neck."

Josephine leans forward and the water runs in warm trickles down her back as Cassandra rinses the soap away. She shifts Josephine's hair off her neck and rubs at the soap that clings there. Josephine shivers at the touch, biting her bottom lip between her teeth, trying desperately to think of Orlesian serving spoons and the colour of algae on a frog pond, and _not_ of Cassandra's strong hands on her bared skin.

When Josephine declares she is ready, so ready, to be done, Cassandra closes her eyes and extends a hand to help her exit the tub.

"Thank you," Josephine says.

Cassandra chuckles, eyes still closed. "You are very welcome. I imagine it was difficult to ask for this kind of help. It would be for me, and we are a lot alike."

Josephine's heart does a little somersault when she hears that. She'll have to examine that later, because Cassandra is standing in her bedroom and only one of them is stark naked.

It's only a few more minutes, mostly with Cassandra's eyes closed, to dress. Cassandra opens her eyes to braid Josephine's hair, right and tight, exactly how Josephine likes it.

Josephine thanks her, profusely, and Cassandra waves it all off with a small smile.

* * *

She can smell rosewater all day. It's distracting. More so than having her arm in a cast.

Cassandra knocks on the door to her office as she's wrapping up for the day. Josephine looks up with a start.

"Cassandra, are you all right? You don't look well."

She grimaces. "I'm not. I've been thinking all day and I needed to come to you."

"Of course, Cassandra." Josephine is concerned, because when Cassandra is flustered, all sorts of chaos must be breaking loose.

"I want to start with a sincere apology for this morning. Leliana said you asked for my help, but I had my doubts otherwise. I came to you with, I fear, with ulterior motives."

Josephine doesn't know what to say, she just waits for Cassandra to elaborate.

"My own... feelings… for you. They clouded my judgment."

"Your feelings for me?"

Cassandra meets her eyes. "Yes. I'm sorry. I should have come to you before, but I understand it's not professional."

"Cassandra, _your feelings for me?_ "

"My apologies, Josephine, I --"

"Hush, I'm not mad, I just wanted to be certain I understood you. And what impropriety occurred this morning that has you feeling so guilty?" To hear Cassandra admit feelings for her makes Josephine’s heart flutter in her chest. She's idly fantasized about this moment, but she never thought Cassandra, of all people...

"Nothing, I didn't peek or anything. Just… all of it. I shouldn't have helped you with something so personal without telling you first. That I… have strong feelings for you."

Josephine mulls it over. She's not mad, and she never would have thought Cassandra would have peeked, regardless of feelings or no feelings. She's far more honorable than that. "Cassandra, I would have needed help either way. You helped me, as a friend. I would have done the same for you. With all the same feelings."

Cassandra takes a second to process and then a look of understanding comes over her. "Josephine… the same feelings?"

"Without naming all of them, let's say yes. Same or similar."

"I understand," Cassandra says. Then she doesn't say anything for what feels like a long time. "Still, I apologize for not saying something sooner, and now for taking up so much of your time today. Good night, Josephine."

"Good night, Cassandra."

She leaves and Josephine is left feeling very peculiar indeed.

* * *

Two days later, Josephine has sorted out her feelings and is waiting for a moment to speak to Cassandra.

That moment comes knocking on her door very early in the morning.

"I expected you'd need some help," Cassandra says, when Josephine opens the door. "Braiding your hair."

"Can you help me wash it?"

"I… Yes, of course. Anything you need."

They follow the same pattern as the first time, but with tension in the air. Josephine quickly realizes Cassandra's not going to say anything -- too shy, or nervous, or proper, or maybe just too Cassandra.

"Cassandra…" But then where did she mean to go from there?

"Josephine. The water is ready." Cassandra turns around and lets Josephine undress and slip into the tub, mindful of her arm.

The water is hot, almost a touch too hot, but it's comforting all the same. It bolsters her courage. "If we both have the same feelings, is it not prudent to investigate that further?" she asks, as Cassandra begins to untie her braids. There's a pause in the ministrations before Cassandra speaks.

"Perhaps. Is now the time and place? In the middle of a war?"

"I'd counter that there's not a better time or place to try and find some happiness."

"Is now the time and place, with you in the bath?"

Josephine giggles, covering her face with her good hand. "Well, perhaps you are correct. Dinner tonight?"

"If you wish… I'd be delighted."

_Delighted_. Josephine can't help but giggle again. 'Delighted' was a very good sign. Delighted for Cassandra was jump-for-joy excited for almost anyone else.

Cassandra brings out the rosewater soap and Josephine almost tells her to use something different, because the heady thought of smelling Cassandra's traces on her all day before dinner will make her a little giddy with anticipation and nerves. But she doesn't; it will be her guilty pleasure.

She takes a little more time washing Josephine's hair, rubbing the soap to the roots and massaging it into her scalp. Josephine melts a little deeper into the water. She's putty in Cassandra's hands at this moment.

Cassandra helps her out of the tub with her eyes shut and stands solidly when Josephine uses her to lean on to step into her knickers and petticoats. They sit on the edge of the bed to braid Josephine's hair.

Her hands are quick and sure and she knows her way around a braid. After a moment or two of not knowing where to put her eyes, Josephine sees Cassandra's not doing the type of braid she was expecting.

"Trying something new. If you don't like it, I can start again."

"No, I like it."

Cassandra nods and finishes it with a quick series of twists and and a tight tie on the bottom. "Shall I pin it up, or would you like to wear it loose?"

"What do you think will look better?" Josephine turns to look at herself in the little looking glass on the desk.

Cassandra blushes, of all things. "Down, I think. But it's your preference."

Josephine suppresses a giggle; there's no end to Cassandra's… cuteness. "Down it is," she says.

"Oh, Cassandra?" Josephine says as Cassandra's halfway out the door. "Dinner tonight, can it be a little bit later? I have an Antivan delegation coming in in the afternoon and if I remember the family, they're all big talkers. I don't want to keep you waiting."

Cassandra nods. "Of course, thank you for your consideration."

Josephine closes the door behind her and leans on it. She's worried that Cassandra will be a little too rigid to have any conversation about feelings, until, from the other side of the door she hears a noise. She peeks through the peephole.

Cassandra does a little dance, shuffling feet and pumping her fists. "Yesssss. Thank you, Maker!"

Josephine covers her mouth with her good hand to stifle her laughter.

They are going to be more than fine.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Lady Norbert for betaing and helping with the title. Thank you to Chat's Super Awesome House for Nerds for moral support while I stressed about hair braiding and imagined Josephine with a long fishtail braid and then needed to lie down and fan myself.


End file.
